Portable and stackable leak-proof container formed from a blank of material

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a container ( 100 ) made from a blank material. The container ( 100 ) is particularly suitable for storing food stuffs, including liquid food stuffs. It is versatile in that it can be assembled so that it has a handle for carrying the container ( 100 ) and it is also possible to assemble the container ( 100 ) so that the handle of the container ( 100 ) is tucked away, so that it is suitable for stacking.

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a container, which isparticularly suitable for storing foodstuffs, including liquidfoodstuffs. It is versatile in that it can be assembled so that it has ahandle for carrying the container. It is also possible to assemble thecontainer so that the handle of the container is tucked away, so that itis suitable for stacking.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] Conventional containers for merchandise typically consist ofstraight sided boxes with lids which simply fit over the top of the box.Such boxes must often be secured in a closed condition with additionalmeans such as an elastic band or tape in order to prevent the lid simplyslipping off again.

[0003] Other conventional containers, even if they do not use separatelids, are closed by tabs which tuck into slots or interlock with othertabs. These containers sometimes have handles when constructed. Thiswill assist the user in carrying the container, but is undesirable when,for example, more than one container is used and the user wishes to putthem in a carrier bag. Alternatively, these containers have flat topswith no handles, which are difficult to carry around without placing thecontainers into carrier bags.

[0004] Furthermore, conventional containers for carrying foodstuffs arenot leak-proof. Thus, although they may be useful for carrying dryfoodstuffs such as pastry, they are not suitable for carrying foodstuffwhich have liquid, such as food with gravy and, particularly, soups.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an objective of this invention to provide a container whichis versatile and easy to use in that it can be changed alternativelyfrom a configuration which gives the user a handle to carry thecontainer, and to a configuration which does away with the handle andinstead gives the container a flat top. The former configurationfacilitates the carrying of individual containers while the latterconfiguration allows the container to be stacked with like containers orother items. It is another objective of this invention to provide acontainer which can be securely retained in the closed condition withoutthe need for additional securing means.

[0006] It is a further objective of this invention to provide acontainer which is leak-proof, so that foodstuffs comprising liquid canbe carried therein. The container can be used for keeping foodstuff in afridge as well as a container for microwaving or baking the foodstuff.It is also an objective of this invention to produce a container meetingthe above advantages which is manufactured and delivered as a singlecomponent and therefore saves the costs.

[0007] Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides acontainer comprising

[0008] a base panel, side and foldable flap panels foldably adjoined tothe perimeter of the base panel to fully encircle the base panel, atleast one lid panel used to fashion a lid for the container, and atleast one handle panel used to fashion a handle for the container,wherein

[0009] the foldable flap panels foldably adjoin adjacent side panels toone another, and are folded during construction of the container tobring the adjacent side panels together,

[0010] the or each handle panel is foldably adjoined to a correspondingside panel, or a lid panel along an edge opposite to the side panel towhich the lid panel is joined, and is foldable between an upstandingconfiguration in which it can be gripped and a retracted configurationin which it lies flat against the lid.

[0011] In a second aspect, the invention provides a blank of materialfor constructing the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The invention will be described in more detail, by way of exampleonly, with reference to one embodiment of the invention and withreference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings relate to apreferred embodiment of the invention.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to thepreferred embodiment of this invention, assembled so that the containerhas a flat top.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in FIG. 1, which isassembled such that the container has a handle.

[0015]FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the shape of the cut-out orblank from which the container is made.

[0016]FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the shape of the cut-outor blank from which the container is made.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0017] With reference to FIG. 3, a blank 1 in accordance with thepreferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base panel 2,side panels 3 a-b & 6 a-b, and foldable flaps (corner panels) 5 a-d. Inaddition, the lid is made from the lid panels 7 a-b, handle panels 8 a-band interlocking panels 9 a-b.

[0018] The base panel 2 in this embodiment is rectangular. Extendingoutwards along the length of the base panel 2 are side panels 6 a-b andextending outwards along the width of the base panel 2 are further sidepanels 3 a-b, one extending from each edge of the base panel 2. Theadjacent side panels 3 b-6 b, 6 b-3 a, 3 a-6 a and 6 a-3 b, are furtheradjoined to each other by foldable flaps 5 b, 5 c, 5 ,d and 5 arespectively. Each foldable flap has a crease line 16 a-d to facilitatethe folding of the foldable flaps 5 a-d.

[0019] The lid panels 7 a-b preferably extend from the top edges of twoof the side panels 6 a-b. Further, handle panels 8 a-b extend from thelid panels 7 a-b. On each handle panel 8 a-b, a handle slot 10 a-b iscut out. Further, on one of the handle slots 10 a, there is a handle tab13 extending slightly into the handle slot 10 a. This handle tab 13slots into the handle tab slot 14, which is cut-out from the oppositelid panel 7 b, when the container 100 is configured in the flat-topposition.

[0020] On one of the handle panels 8 a, there is also a lid tab 11 whichis cut out from the handle panel 8 a. This lid tab 11 slots into the lidtab slot 12, which is cut out from the opposite handle panel 12, whenthe container 100 is configured with the handle.

[0021] Further, at each outer edge of each handle panel 8 a-b, there area pair of interlocking tabs 15 a-b and 15 c-d. These interlocking tabs15 a-d are slotted into the interlocking slots 9 a-b on the interlockingpanels 4 a-b when the container 100 is configured with the handle.

[0022] The interlocking panels (4 a, 4 b) are particularly important inthe portable configuration of the container 100, as they not only engagewith the handle to provide a rigid handle (FIG. 2), but also provide aconfiguration which transmits handle loads to the side panels 3 a, 3 bof the container 100 to which the handle panels 8 a, 8 b are notdirectly connected. This latter aspect of its function distributes thehandle loads along two perpendicular axes of the container and thusassist in preventing the lid panels 7 a, 7 b from opening when thecontainer 100 is carried by the handle.

[0023] Finally, crease lines 17 a-d are formed towards the side edges ofthe lid panels 7 a-b. Thus, seal panels 17 are defined. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, these seal panels 17 are used to abut with the sidepanels 6 a, 6 b or interlocking panels 4 a, 4 b to provide a leak-proofcontainer.

[0024] The assembly of the containers 100, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,starting from the blank 1, illustrated in FIG. 3, will now be described.

[0025] The side panels 3 a-b and 6 a-b are folded upwards to verticalpositions. The foldable flaps 5 a-d are folded outwards along the creaselines 16 a-d. The foldable flaps 5 a-d, which are now folded flat, aresecured to the side panels 3 a-b by gluing or any other means to besubstantially flush with the surfaces of the side panels 3 a-b. Althoughthe Figures show the foldable flaps 5 a-d folded outside of thecontainer 100, the said flaps could also be folded and glued inside thecontainer 100. The base and sides of the container 100 are now formed.The lower portions of the side panels 3 a-b and 6 a-b, when formed, arepreferably tapered at an angle of more than 90°(illustrated for sidepanel 3 a-b as a° in FIG. 1).

[0026] If a container 100 with a flat top is desired, in which thehandle is tucked away as shown in FIG. 1, interlocking panels 4 a-b arefirst folded inwards towards the inside of the container 100. The lidpanel 7 b and handle panel 8 b (having the handle tab slot 14 and lidtab slot 12 respectively) are folded inwards to rest on top of thefolded interlocking panels 4 a-b (not shown).

[0027] The next stage is to fold the lid panel 7 a and handle panel 8 a(having the lid tab 11 and handle tab 13 respectively) to rest on top ofthe other lid panel 7 b and handle panel 8 b (as shown in FIG. 1). Tosecure the container 100, as the lid panel 7 b and handle 8 b arelowered, the lid tab 11 is slotted into and through the lid tab slot 12.The handle tab 13 is then slotted into the handle tab slot 14 tocomplete the assembly.

[0028] In order to reopen the container from the above flat-topconfiguration, the handle tab 13 is pulled out from the handle tab slot14, and the lid tab 11 is pulled out from the lid tab slot 12, thusreleasing the lid panels 7 a-b and handle panels 8 a-b.

[0029] In a different configuration in which the handle of the container100 is not tucked away, as shown in FIG. 2, the interlocking panels 4a-b are not folded away but remain substantially vertical. In this case,the lid panel 7 a and handle panel 8 a, and corresponding lid panel 7 band handle panel 8 b, are folded inwards and the interlocking tabs 15a-d are inserted through the corresponding interlocking slots 9 a-b.Upon folding, the lid panels 7 a-b are in the horizontal position whilstthe handle panels 8 a-b are substantially in the vertical position. Thecorresponding handle slots 10 a-b are arranged adjacent to each other sothat one single handle slot is formed.

[0030] In more detail, once the handle panels 8 a-b are sufficientlylowered, the interlocking panels 4 a-b are folded inwards such that thecorners of the handle panels 8 a-b are inserted into the interlockingslots 9 a-b. The interlocking panels 4 a-b are folded inwards toapproximately a 45-degree angle to enable the top of the interlockingslots 9 a-b to rest inside the interlocking tabs 15 a-d. The edges ofthe lid panels 7 a-b are simultaneously folded upwards along the creaselines 17 a-d so as not to obstruct the said folding of the interlockingpanels 4 a-b. The handle panels 8 a-b are then lifted up slightly toengage the top of the interlocking slot 9 a with the bottom of the pairof interlocking tabs 15 a, c and the top of interlocking slot 9 b withthe bottom of the pair of interlocking tabs 15 b, d to complete theassembly.

[0031] In order to reopen the container 100 of FIG. 2, the handle panelsare pushed downwards to release the interlocking panels 4 a-b from theinterlocking tabs 15 a-d, allowing the interlocking panels 4 a-b toswing outwards. Once the interlocking panels 4 a-b are in asubstantially vertical position, the lid panels 7 a-b and handle panels8 a-b are released and may be pulled open.

[0032] The container 100 is preferably made from a material such asstiff paper, cardboard or thin plastic which is relatively cheap andeasy to handle and has a degree of resilience. However, any othersuitable material could be used. The container 100 could comprise acombination of different materials and it could also be formed as alaminate, for example, to improve insulation. Preferably, the materialsshould also be food-grade so that the containers can be used for storingfoodstuffs. Furthermore, by using the appropriate material, thecontainer 100 can be used as a cooking utensil which is suitable forboth microwaving and oven baking the food stored therein.

[0033] A number of other modifications to the container described willbe apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, although theembodiment described shows the base panel to be rectangular, othershapes can be constructed. For example, the base panel could be otherpolygonal shapes such as square or octagonal (FIG. 4), and it is alsoconceivable that the base panel could be substantially elliptical orcircular. In this case, the container would have a two-piececonstruction. In addition, the side panels 3 a-b and 6 a-b, togetherwith the foldable flaps 5 a-d could be significantly deeper to give thecontainer 100 a greater volume.

[0034] Thus, a number of variations are possible to the presentinvention which provides a container which is simple to close and whichcan either have a configuration with a handle or have a flat top inwhich the handle is tucked away. The container can also be securelyretained in the closed condition in either configuration without theneed for additional securing means. Further, the container can bestacked with like containers or other items without the weight causingopening or crushing of the container.

1. A container comprising a base panel, side and foldable flap panelsfoldably adjoined to the perimeter of the base panel to fully encirclethe base panel, at least one lid panel used to fashion a lid for thecontainer, and at least one handle panel used to fashion a handle forthe container, wherein the foldable flap panels foldably adjoin adjacentside panels to one another, and are folded during construction of thecontainer to bring the adjacent side panels together, the or each handlepanel is foldably adjoined to a corresponding side panel, or a lid panelalong an edge opposite to the side panel to which the lid panel isjoined, and is foldable between an upstanding configuration in which itcan be gripped and a retracted configuration in which it lies flatagainst the lid.
 2. A container as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a lidtab located on the or each lid panel and insertable in a lid tab slot toretain the lid in a closed position.
 3. A container as claimed in claim1 or claim 2 , comprising a handle tab slot arranged, in the retractedconfiguration of the handle, to receive a handle tab located on thehandle.
 4. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims,comprising at least one interlocking panel foldably attached to a sidepanel to engage with the or each handle in the upstanding handleconfiguration.
 5. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims,comprising at least one seal panel located on the or each lid panel toabut against an adjacent panel to provide a seal.
 6. A container asclaimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base panel ispolygonal, at least a first and second handle panel are provided tofashion a lid for the container, the foldable flap panels are located atcorners of the polygon base and each includes a crease line extendingfrom the respective corner of the polygonal base panel to allow the oreach foldable flap panel to be folded during construction of thecontainer, the polygonal base panel has at least four edges including afirst pair of opposing edges along which respective opposing side panelsare foldably adjoined, the first and second opposing lid panels are eachfoldably adjoined to the opposing side panels at an edge of therespective side panel opposite to the base and are arranged to meet andbe retained together to form the lid upon construction of the container,and the or each handle panel is foldably adjoined to a corresponding lidpanel along an edge opposite to the side panel.
 7. A container asclaimed in claim 6 , wherein a lid tab slot is located on the joinbetween the second opposing lid panel and the corresponding side panel.8. A container as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a lid tab is located onthe first opposing lid panel to engage with a slot on the secondopposing lid panel, or a second handle panel adjoined to the secondopposing lid panel.
 9. A container as claimed in claim 6 , wherein afirst handle panel adjoined to the first opposing lid panel includes ahandle tab, and the second opposing lid panel includes a handle tab slotto receive the handle tab in the retracted configuration of the handle.10. A container as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the or each handle paneldefines a fully encircled hole, along an internal edge of which, thehandle tab is located.
 11. A container as claimed in claim 6 , furthercomprising at least one interlocking panel used to lock the or eachhandle in the upstanding configuration, wherein the polygonal base panelhas a second pair of opposing edges, the first and second pair ofopposing edges arranged mutually perpendicular to one another, the oreach interlocking panel is each foldably adjoined to a side panel whichextends from the second pair of base panel edges, and comprises ainterlocking slot for insertion of at least a corner of the handle. 12.A container as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the or each handle panelcomprises at least one slot extending from a free edge of the handle toengage with the corresponding interlocking slot.
 13. A container asclaimed in claim 6 , comprising two opposing handle panels which abut inthe constructed container.
 14. A container as claimed in claim 6 ,wherein the first and second opposing lid panels are sized tocollectively cover the base panel in the constructed container.
 15. Acontainer as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the base panel is square,rectangular, or octagonal.
 16. A container as claimed in claim 6 ,wherein the side panels have an angle of more than 90°to the basepanels.
 17. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, made from asingle blank of material.
 18. A blank used to form a container asclaimed in any preceding claim.
 19. A container substantially ashereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.20. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described and with referenceto the accompanying drawings.